"Your apartment is slightly less shitty than it used to be."
"Fuck you."
"That was a compliment."
"I knew it was."
The reunited pair sit beside each other on Naruto's worn down couch, equipped with the same countless instant ramen stains; Sasuke finds that there are even more than before he left, and wonders what percentage of the cushions is infused with broth.
Nostalgia and a hint of vengeance wash over the Uchiha, reminding him of their past together, as well as mocking the time lost between them. Nevertheless, they both smirk at the instantaneous return of their playful banter, and the raven slides a few inches over to his ex.
Ex-boyfriend…Sasuke can't let that stand for much longer. He lifts his pale hand to Naruto's cheek, fingertips just grazing the tanned skin. A stake pierces his heart when the other flinches, but the wound is immediately mended once Naruto leans into the touch.
In this moment, Sasuke forgets that he ever left Kohana. Those two years of nothing but suffering and depression completely vanish from his mind, the dark memories being vaporized by the overpowering light sitting beside him.
Like old times, all of the bad that Sasuke lugs around fades when in Naruto's proximity. No evil can survive such a close encounter with this eternal sun.
Not a day in Sasuke's life has gone by where he hasn't considered himself to be a villain of some sort. At the same time, he's always known Naruto to be a hero, whether the blonde is putting someone in their place, or unintentionally saving people by dimming the hate incinerating their insides through kind words and selfless acts.
Hell, just being near him can make one feel like less of an asshole. Naruto's carefree nature is very easy to get swept up in, his positive outlook entices, and his smile persuades.
Whether he's putting in all his effort or merely offering you a stupidly effective grin, Naruto has a power to not only change a huge variety of individuals, but offer them a peaceful serenity they couldn't achieve through their own solitude.
Sasuke's speaking from personal experience. Instead of wasting a small fortune every hour with a useless therapist (Itachi made him go once and it was less than successful), have a conversation with this dumb jerk.
Just standing within at least three feet of Naruto will undoubtedly make some of your bad shit go away. The glow of his surrounding aura is bond to scare off most of your internal blackness.
Unless you're the devil himself, Naruto can probably cure the majority of your demons one way or another. He never ceases when it comes to helping someone, doesn't matter if you're a friend or total stranger.
It's a remarkable quality that Sasuke both adores and despises.
Because of this relentless desire to care for others, Naruto has spent a lot of time and effort offering assistance needlessly. The blonde is always on alert, ready to jump whenever someone calls for him.
This includes certain individuals that Sasuke had deemed undeserving, or whom he could tell had selfish intentions. Specifically, those intentions being to steal his overly caring idiot away from him.
The two wouldn't have serious arguments that often, but when the Uchiha picked up on someone feigning weakness in order to eventually captivate Naruto, his jealousy would come out in other ways.
He'd never directly admit to these feelings, so instead, Sasuke would express his anger by spewing insults at the underhanded individuals, or at Naruto himself.
After being away for two years, there's no way the blonde has gone without new sets of eyes fawning over him. What's necessary information for Sasuke to know is if Naruto has done anything about them.
Old remnants of similar heated emotions flare up at the thought of Naruto with someone else. Sasuke's hand lingers along the sun-kissed skin, a quirk in his lips over the blonde emitting a pleasant hum.
Naruto's eyelids fall, content with just being next to his one and only flame again after so much time apart.
"So, have you fucked anyone recently?"
Maybe it was the feeling of his confidence returning a bit, or the bitterness swirling in his gut at the possibility of this beautiful man not being his anymore.
It could've been that the torture he'd endured for what felt like a lifetime has made him even more blunt than he already was before he left.
Whatever the reason, Sasuke knows he fucked up when Naruto's eyes shoot open, a visible jolt going through his whole body.
He wishes he never opened his damn mouth, especially after seeing Naruto's reaction.
His expression is a painful mix of sadness, confusion, and utter grief. The Uchiha doesn't allow himself to hold onto the hint of longing in the blonde's conflicted gaze, and the hand caressing Naruto's cheek shamefully lowers.
A lowlife like him doesn't deserve to touch such cherubic skin.
He takes in the hurting man's now drooping form and fallen face. Sasuke's chest tightens and his lungs burn from the aftermath of such a careless statement.
The raven's dropped hand tentatively reaches back up, only to fall again. Why does he break everything he cares about?
Yet he can't seem to stop himself.
"Should I take the silence as a yes?"
It doesn't help that his tone is condescending as hell.
A sudden, violent tremor travels through each of Naruto's limbs, like a cornered animal prepping for the fight of its life.
It's a conveniently accurate analogy. With a clench of his fists and anger bubbling brightly in those passionate eyes, he lands a solid punch to Sasuke's gut.
Before he can hit the arm of the couch behind him from the impact, before he can even gasp or breathe again, the strangest thing happens.
Naruto hooks a hand into Sasuke's shirt collar, reeling him in like a fish on a line. They're thrust into each other and Naruto's lips slam onto Sasuke's, whose mouth is wide in shock, pain, and the desperate need to inhale.
It's over as quickly as it began.
Naruto releases both his lips and hand, pushing the Uchiha off with unnecessary strength, finality clear in the action. Sasuke wheezes while running fingers along his shirt, attempting to soothe the throbbing abdomen underneath.
The ache burns, adding to his frustration. After Naruto's display of a variety of sentiments, plus the sheer quickness and force of it all, he might as well be recovering from whiplash.
The sudden pounding of his head and the insistent pain from his definitely bruising stomach entice an uncommon rage inside of Sasuke.
This goes without including the constant woe he could never voice, the crushing torment he had no choice but to endure for two years that is still fresh in his mind.
In short, he's extremely bottled up.
Sasuke is fed up with having no goddamn control in his life anymore. So, he makes a mental pact to just do whatever the hell he wants from here on out. He's free from being everyone's bitch, there is absolutely nothing chaining him down anymore.
Dreams of being with Naruto again were nearly all that sustained him, and now, said man is actually here, right in front of his dusk eyes. The tingling sensation of Sasuke's lips reminds him that this finally isn't a dream.
This is reality.
He's earned his freedom, and step by step, Sasuke is going to stitch himself back together.
One proper look at a panting Naruto is enough to confirm what Sasuke wants right this second, and for the first time in forever, he's in a position to claim something he desires. Rather, the raven can return to the one person that he needs.
In one swift movement, Sasuke pounces onto Naruto just as the blonde had mere moments ago. He crashes their lips together, taking in Naruto's soft ones and grinning through the kiss as the realization comes to him that he can do this again.
Sasuke took so much for granted in high school, especially his boyfriend. If he had known what was to come, Sasuke wouldn't have ever let the blonde out of his sight.
Regrets don't matter now, so he focuses on how his body sparks back to life with each second his lips stay pressed against Naruto's. It's like Sasuke is remembering how to exist again.
The Uchiha doesn't notice that Naruto's mouth is screwed shut, refusing to give him any leeway. Sasuke nibbles at the other's bottom lip, and a sudden growl of annoyance slips out at being continuously denied.
He emits a mindless whine as Naruto pulls back, the seconds apart already too much to bear.
Instinctively, Sasuke reaches out to make any sort of physical contact with the blonde, but Naruto stands up, completely out of his grasp.
Sasuke's teeth grind against each other, and only slow once he sees the expression on Naruto's face.
He looks painfully regretful. It makes Sasuke want to punch himself in the face.
The flaming hunger and agitation die down instantly, swallowed by the rapid whirlpool hollowing out Sasuke's chest. Fingers run through his hair unconsciously, tightly gripping several strands.
What the hell is he doing?
"Shit… what is wrong with me? Why do I keep repeating the same shit that hurts me?" Naruto barely whispers loud enough for Sasuke to hear, his blue eyes downcast. The quiver in his voice leaves the raven crushed. "I don't know why I wasted two years waiting on you. Meeting again was a mistake."
There are numerous ways Sasuke could've responded. He doesn't end up doing any of the several that would've been perfectly appropriate.
Instead, Sasuke starts laughing. Hysterically.
He sure as hell doesn't mean to, and he knows that he seriously needs to shut up. Once again, and so soon, Sasuke feels helpless. It really bites that it's his feelings overwhelming him, of all things. He faintly remembers a time where there had been a fortress barricading his heart.
When did all of it come crashing down?
Naruto's eyes alight with hatred, shooting up to glare daggers at the Uchiha. It doesn't faze the painful cackling that wracks his already hurt body.
He doesn't even recall a desire to speak, nor can he pinpoint where these thoughts come from.
"You're joking. First you punch me, then you kiss me, and now you're saying this was a bloody mistake? It's like one of our old monthly breakups in a span of a few minutes! How nostalgic, what a lovely stroll down memory lane."
The raven then points an accusing finger at Naruto, whose ferocious eyes haven't shifted in the slightest. Harsh words continue to spill out of him against his consent. Sasuke internally screams at himself to stop.
"You don't mean that. We both know you would've jumped me the second I stepped out your door. Stop being so dense and get it through your head that you will never quit loving me, and no one can make you feel the way I do."
The heat behind Naruto's gaze dims slightly, but Sasuke is filled with immense pride that Naruto hasn't wavered at all until now. The villainous part of him is amused, curious at how long Naruto can maintain his fearsome, determined stance. Sasuke has always admired the blonde's tenacity, and knowing that the monsters residing in the darkest corner of his mind want to see the blonde shatter terrifies him.
Why is he still talking?
If there are any holy powers above, Sasuke begs them to strike him where he stands.
"I'm fucking irreplaceable, sweetheart. The quicker you accept it, the better."
A sardonic satisfaction slumbering inside of Sasuke creeps to the surface as Naruto's eyes fall shut in defeat, his body trembling. The words must be hard to hear.
Not everyone likes facing the truth.
Regardless, Sasuke never meant to speak about the intimacy of their relationship in this cruel tone. There's nothing to gain through mocking Naruto's eternal love for him.
Sasuke really wishes he took some time outside the door planning a little of what he was going to say. With his head not fully screwed back on yet, the Uchiha barely knows how to have a normal conversation, let alone keep one from turning into a fucking nightmare.
He guesses that being talked down to and humiliated for so long has made him crave other people's misery.
Pitiful reasoning behind it or not, it doesn't excuse what he's done.
Sasuke bites his lip. With an audible sigh, he clears away some of the grey clouds looming in his head. He has to pull himself together, for Naruto's sake. Now is the worst time to be traumatized. There's plenty of time to be a victim after they get back together.
The raven takes a gradual step forward, gauging Naruto's reaction. Naruto's wide, uncertain eyes flit to his before he wires them closed, his arms wrapping around his shivering shoulders. His back hunches over as he holds himself, a low cry escaping his throat. He bends forward so much that Sasuke wonders if he'll fold into himself completely. Sasuke is witnessing the creation of a black hole.
A rivulet of tears flow down Naruto's cheeks, and Sasuke doesn't hesitate. In an instant, he's hovering above the blonde's bent form, running one hand slowly down Naruto's spine and the other through his hair. To the Uchiha's surprise, Naruto wraps his arms around Sasuke's torso. He buries his face in Sasuke's chest, crying silently besides a few sniffles here and there.
"You've never stopped loving me, have you?" Sasuke mumbles, continuing to soothe the other with gentle strokes. His tone is soft and genuinely curious. Naruto stills for a moment before nodding into Sasuke's shirt. A tension he wasn't aware he had been bearing lifts off of Sasuke's shoulders, and for the first time since his departure, he smiles easily. It isn't forced, it isn't painful or dishonest, nor is it flashed with the intent to deceive. A piece of his scarred conscious feels at ease.
"Good," he says, digging his face into Naruto's golden hair, "I haven't either."
Sasuke treasures how Naruto pushes himself closer into his chest, each of their holds tightening.
"Pardon the intrusion, but I suppose it's your own fault for leaving the door hanging open. Again."
That monotone voice that is somehow always laced with an underlying venom…
Sasuke has hated it ever since he can remember.
It makes both of them freeze, their eyes shooting towards the halfway opened entrance.
"Really now, if you had anything of value you would've been robbed several times over. What's your excuse this tiㄧ"
Sai's patronizing words choke back down his throat at the image in front of him. Naruto's cheeks are stained with fresh tears, and…
And…
That bastard gripping his shoulders.
"Shit, as if I didn't have enough to deal with today."
Sai's ready to punch a hole through those perfect teeth.